Author
Topic: Cheap-arse Weekend :-) (Read 1693 times)

glitch_oz

With the Big-Momma Euro-Alps trip coming up later in the year we?re on the low- settings for rides and related expenditure at the moment? time being another thing, it?s time to pull up our socks and make a real effort at work.

Still?. rides can be had, even on the cheap. With the second postie still registered, last weekend offered itself for some close-to-home fun.

Up Myers Creek Rd, turning into the Toolangi/ Murrundindi State Park at Toolangi.

30 Mins later we?re lost amongst the maze of tracks, the search for the main track north-east towards Alexandra was helped little by a bunch of dirt-riders who couldn?t believe their eyes?. 3 posties on ?their? tracks, riders in road gear? loaded with camping gear.

Things turned a bit rough here and there?.

but we finally found the main track and headed east?.until Goodie disappeared from the mirrors.SHIT !! A flat? :poo:

The march-flies organized a concerted attack all through the repairs?and the single CO cartridge used on that rear hoop nearly blew the rubber off the rim again.

The Old SEC Road tapered out into some farmers paddocks?. where now?Right along the fences and drainage channels, through some gates, zigzagging across open paddocks to get to the gate along the main road?and some rollercoaster tracks into Alexandra, for the first of many $6 fill-ups?.that?s 6 bux for TWO bikes.

Nudging the magic 100... (it's a fake, the speedo carked it)

Along Skyline Road into Eildon and south around the lake to Jamieson, the afternoon getting old, the shadows growing long.

Eildon-Jamieson Rd: From Eildon the first 15km are good and clean?.then roadworks have left a treacherous layer of super-fine loose gravel over the top for the next 5km?.then 5 clean klicks followed by another 5km of new seal with fine gravel?even the little CTs were sliding around quite a bit. The 14km dirt section is pretty corrugated at the moment, especially all approaches and exits of corners.The Jamieson side has quite a few rockfalls out of the clay-banks.All up, not really recommendable for the ?roadies? at the moment...

The clear night at the Caravan Park at Howqua gave up another surprise?the tail of the recently visible comet nearly took up a quarter of the skies?what a spectacle.

Barjarg on the Midland Hwy consists of an old, old servo (still going) and 3 wobbly tin-sheds?and it?s the eastern end of the Strathbogie Ranges.

Finally off the tar again, too?through bush and pine plantations to the town of Strathbogie and up Mt. Wombat for some sensational 360deg views. :thumbs: :thumbs:

The guy in the fire-lookout popped his eyes when 3 tiny posties screamed onto the top carpark in 1.gear? :shock:

The former camp at Toorour was the next target. A sign proclaimed a memorial for 2 guys killed in a plane crash in 1942, the track looked narrow and bombed out, let?s go.

Bouncing our way to another sign pointing to a yet narrower track,

it all finished up with some rock-hopping and a plaque stuck to a rock somewhere in the bush.

Heading east again and down the hills to Lima and Swanpool on the Midland Hwy. again? for a top-up and some drinks.

Another forestry road leads from Lima East back towards Strathbogie, this one steep and rougher than the parallel track we came down. Good fun.

Past the weir at Polly McQuinn and a quick look at the dried-out Gooram Falls, which still provided some entertainment by nearly getting caught out by a berm of sand at the edge of the carpark.

Staying on a westerly tack, the Strathbogies showed their best side?.the big-boulder strewn paddocks, great farming roads leading through drizabone cattle and sheep country, the rolling landscape broken by spectacular views and vantage points.

Close to Seymour and it?s south into the Tallarock State Forest. The entry is a bit hard to find, luckily there was a local with a ute?but Christ, what a climb. :shock: :shock: 4WD country alright?the postie barely makes it in first, standing on the pegs there?s no mercy with the rest of the bike, just hanging on and hope the little thing doesn?t fall apart.Up top it?s onto an easy main track, popping out of the bush to more great views across the valleys.

A short hop into Strath Creek and a much-needed fuel-up, then on to Flowerdale, across to Glenburn and towards Yarra Glen.About halfway between Glenburn and The Slide (intersection Kinglake/ Toolangi) is a turnoff for a back way to Kinglake, which turned out to be nearly all sealed, only about 4km missing, but plenty of loose gravel on top.

Back towards The Slide on the main road, then down the dirt (parallel to Melba Hwy) into Steels Creek and the back of Yarra Glen.

One more track to go?.The Skyline Road. Yep, another Skyline Road, this one close to home. Up the twisties of the Christmas hills, turning off just after reaching the top.The road runs south along the Sugarloaf Reservoir?.and there are some stunning lookouts. Views from Mt. St. Leonard across the Yarra Valley, Mt. Dandenong right down to Arthurs Seat on the Peninsula, it?s a stumper.

I will not show my mrs this post, 'cause all the stories I told her about the required size and engine capacities for adventure biking are all nullified.

Nice report - bring those monsters to SA for some touring!

Logged

It's a friggen motorcycle, it's not supposed to be comfortable, quiet or safe. The windnoise is supposed to hurt your ears, the seat should be hard and riding it should make you shit your pants every now and then. Suck it up. -- Scary Gary MC

glitch_oz

Thanks for the accolades, guys.It's nearly as much fun posting it up as what it is riding Best feature of those little Hondas is, that one tends to see a heck of a lot more along the way than on a bigger bike, going into tighter places than with a 200kg+ bike.....and if the thing tumbles down a cliff or something, there's always next month's auction for getting another $800 one

glitch_oz

I'm really enjoying these reports. I learned to ride on a postie bike so it really brings back memories. Does yours have a high and low ratio too? Beautiful country!

The CT110 only gets sold new as an unregisterable farm-bike. Those DO come as the twin-ratio.The model that Aussie Post buys, hasn't got it...but those are the ones that can be registered after their commercial duties.No problems with buying a new farmbike and swapping everything into a registerable frame....but damn expensive.

glitch_oz

Some of them come with a "reducer-box", manually switching between high and low ratios...pretty much like the older 4WD, which had a manual high/low selector.It gives an extra 4 gears I think, one can only switch across when standing? Not sure though, haven't ridden one of those.